John A. Russo
| birth_place = United States | occupation = Screenwriter, film director, actor, novelist | years_active = 1968 - Present }} John A. Russo (born February 2, 1939), sometimes credited as Jack Russo or John Russo, is an American screenwriter and film director most commonly associated with the 1968 horror classic film Night of the Living Dead. As a screenwriter, his credits include Night of the Living Dead, The Majorettes, Midnight, and Santa Claws. The latter two, he also directed. He has performed small roles as an actor, most notably the first ghoul who is stabbed in the head in Night of the Living Dead, as well as cameos in There's Always Vanilla and House of Frankenstein 1997. Career Russo attended West Virginia University while his friend Rudy Ricci attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Ricci met George A. Romero at Carnegie Mellon and introduced Russo to Romero on Russo's Christmas vacation. After college, Russo was drafted into the Army and served a two year stint. Meanwhile, Romero with Russell Streiner formed The Latent Image to produce commercial films with the aim of eventually making a full length feature film. When Russo got out of the Army, he joined his friends in The Latent Image and soon plans were made for a feature film. Russo crafted a rough idea about a young man stumbling upon a host of ghouls feeding off human corpses. Romero loved the idea and a few days later he presented Russo with forty pages of a story based on the idea. The film ultimately became Night of the Living Dead which led to Romero's Dead series and the ''Living Dead'' series, with the latter based on a story by Russo. Russo went on to author many novels and, like his friend Romero, began making films of his own. The Booby Hatch was a sex comedy released in 1976. Midnight was an adaptation of Russo's novel of the same name and released in 1982. His novel The Majorettes was adapted by Russo himself and directed by Bill Hinzman who played the Cemetery Zombie in Night of the Living Dead. Russo's next film was Heartstopper which featured "name" actors Michael J. Pollard and Moon Unit Zappa. Russo considers it his favorite of the films he has directed. John Russo is also the founder and one of the co-mentors along with Russell Streiner of the John Russo Movie Making Program at DuBois Business College in DuBois, Pennsylvania. Movie Emporium Inc. will released Russo's CD John Russo's Movie Music, his CD is filled with Songs from his films. Filmography As screenwriter and director * " My Uncle John is a Zombie (2016) * Saloonatics (2002) * Santa Claws (1996) (as John Russo) **a.k.a. '' 'Tis the Season'' *''Scream Queens' Naked Christmas'' (1996) **a.k.a. Naked Christmas (USA) *''Heartstopper'' (1993) **a.k.a. Dark Craving (USA: video title) *''Midnight 2'' (1993) **a.k.a. Midnight 2: Sex, Death and Videotape (USA: video title) *''Midnight'' (1982) (also novel) **a.k.a. Backwoods Massacre *''The Booby Hatch'' (1976) (screenplay) (story) **a.k.a. Dirty Book Store **a.k.a. The Liberation of Cherry Janowski As screenwriter only *''Voodoo Dawn'' (1990) **a.k.a. Strange Turf (USA) *''The Majorettes'' (1986) (also novel) (as John Russo) **a.k.a. One by One *''Night of the Living Dead'' (1968) (screenplay; co-written by George A. Romero) (as John Russo) **a.k.a. Night of Anubis **a.k.a. Night of the Flesh Eaters As director only *''Scream Queens Swimsuit Sensations'' (1992) (V) (as John Russo) As an actor *''House of Frankenstein 1997'' (1997) (miniseries) .... Honor Guard *''Santa Claws'' (1996) (as John Russo) .... Detective **a.k.a. '' 'Tis the Season'' *''The Inheritor'' (1990) .... Unknown role *''The Majorettes'' (1986) (as John Russo) .... Coroner (Dr. Gibson) **a.k.a. One by One *''There's Always Vanilla'' (1971) (uncredited) .... Music producer **a.k.a. The Affair *''Night of the Living Dead'' (1968) (uncredited) .... Washington military reporter/Ghoul in house As producer * Children of the Living Dead (2001) (executive producer) * Santa Claws (1996) (producer) **a.k.a. '' 'Tis the Season'' * Night of the Living Dead (1990) (producer) *''The Majorettes'' (1986) (producer) **a.k.a. One by One *''There's Always Vanilla'' (1971) (producer) **a.k.a. The Affair Documentary appearances *"One For the Fire:The Legacy of Night of the Living Dead" (2008)...Himself *''UnConventional'' (2004) .... Himself *''The Dead Walk: Remaking a Classic'' (1999) (V) .... Himself :Note: this is a "making-of" special featured on the DVD edition of the 1990 remake of ''Night of the Living Dead.'' *''A-Z of Horror'' (1997) (mini) TV Series .... Himself **a.k.a. Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror (UK: complete title) *''Night of the Living Dead: 25th Anniversary Documentary'' (1993) (V) .... Himself :Note: this is a 25th Anniversary special featured on a video release of the original ''Night of the Living Dead film.'' * Horror F/X (1989) (V) .... Himself :Note: Russo interviews frequent collaborator and fellow Pittsburgh horror movie maker, Tom Savini, in this low-budget shot-on-video documentary. *''Drive-In Madness!'' (1987) .... Himself **a.k.a. Screen Scaries (USA: video title) Bibliography * Night of the Living Dead (1974) paperback Library * Return of the Living Dead (1977) Dale * Majorettes (1979) books * Midnight (1980) books * Limb to Limb (1981) Books * Bloodsisters (1982) Books * Black Cat (1982) Books * The Awakening (1983) Books * Day Care (1985) Books * Return of the Living Dead (1985) -Novelization Version- Books * Inhuman 1986 Books * Voodoo Dawn (1987) Imagine * Living Things (1988) Library * The Complete Night of the Living Dead Film Book (1989) House * Making Movies (1989) Dell * Scare Tactics (1992) Dell * How to Make Your Own Feature Movie for $10,000 or Less (1995) P.G. * Hell's Creation (1995) (Ravenmor) * The Sanity Ward (1995) * Undead (2010) (Kensington) (Omnibus of Night of the Living Dead and Return of the Living Dead) * The Big Book of Bizarro (2011) (Burning Bulb Publishing) (Contains the short story Channel 666) * The Hungry Dead (2013) (Kensington) (Contains a novelization of the comic book Escape of the Living Dead and the 1980 novel Midnight) * Dealey Plaza (2014) (Burning Bulb Publishing) Comics With Avatar Press he is writing a number of comic books:WWC XTRA: Picking the Brains of a “Living Dead” Legend with Avatar Press, August 13, 2007, Comic Book Resources *''Escape of the Living DeadEscape of the Living Dead – Avatar Press *George A. Romero's Night of the Living DeadGeorge A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead – Avatar Press *Plague of the Living Dead''Plague of the Living Dead – Avatar Press References Bibliography * * External links * * *John Russo Movie Making Program at DuBois Business College * * Category:1939 births Category:American film directors Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:American screenwriters Category:Living people